Diabetes

Different routes to high glucose

Too little insulin, a reduced tissue response to insulin, or both can raise blood glucose. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes differ in their mechanisms and treatment needs. Age, body size or sugar intake alone cannot identify the type; diagnosis requires appropriate testing and clinical assessment.

Look beyond one glucose result

Food choices, physical activity and weight management can help some people prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. This does not justify blame or the same prevention promise for type 1 diabetes. After diagnosis, glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol and smoking all matter. Eye, kidney and foot checks address different complications.

Use records to answer a care question

A glucose record is more useful when it includes the timing of meals, activity, medicines and symptoms. A1C describes a longer-term pattern but does not reveal every high or low. Testing frequency, targets and medicines depend on diabetes type, other conditions and the risk of hypoglycaemia.

Plan for illness and low glucose

Some glucose-lowering treatments can cause hypoglycaemia. Agree in advance how to recognise it, respond and get help, and how monitoring and treatment should be handled during illness, reduced food intake or travel. Avoid having to improvise when unwell. Severe changes such as impaired consciousness require immediate help.

Questions for your clinician

• What type of diabetes do I have, and which findings support that diagnosis?
• Which values and circumstances should I record, and when should they be reviewed?
• What puts me at risk of low glucose, and what is my sick-day plan?

Explore the underlying science

• 34 · Carbohydrates: digestion, blood glucose and energy
• 38 · Hunger, satiety, weight and energy balance
• 71 · Diabetes: insulin, glucose regulation and long-term effects
• 78 · Interpreting tests: reference ranges, error and false positives

Sources

• NIDDK: What is diabetes?
• NIDDK: Managing diabetes